Review: Best of California with Insight

By: Rick Contreras, Travel Consultant

My wife and I recently took the Best of California tour with Insight. This was a beautiful trip and a wonderful experience for us. We arrived in San Francisco and took the shuttle to the Omni Hotel. The hotel was in a great location, surrounded by shops and restaurants. We met our tour director (Larry) and our traveling companions the first evening. We all hit it off immediately. We then enjoyed a light dinner and a couple of drinks, and turned in for the evening.

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My Road to Rome: The Art of Touring in Style

At the Spanish Steps in Rome, Italy
Growing up, I always saw myself exploring Europe with a big backpack, ripped up sneakers, and multiple large paper maps. I had dreamed of the backpacking life that most 20-something-year-olds fantasize about. I had it all planned out, my limited budget would allow me to fly into one airport, walk, hitch hike, or find a cheap standing only train ticket to move onto my next city. For accommodations, I would find any hostel that seemed relatively safe and clutch my belongings tightly in my sleep so no one can steal anything if I happened to be able to fall asleep among the noise of however many other people were in that same room bunking with me. Plan b would have been to find the warmest, cleanest corner or steps to get a few hours of sleep in before I explored the city with all my belongings on my back.Continue reading